McCoist delivers ‘Remarkable’ Rodgers verdict after Rangers Old Firm win
Ally McCoist was left shocked by the “remarkable” record of Brendan Rodgers in Old Firm games despite Celtic getting beat by Rangers on Thursday.
The Gers secured a resounding 3-0 Old Firm victory at Ibrox on 2 January in a result that upset the form book in the Scottish Premiership.
The Gers still have an 11-point gap to make up but the pressure upon Philippe Clement’s shoulders will have certainly been eased after Rangers’ victory.
Speaking live on talkSPORT (3 January, 08:38am), McCoist gave credit to Celtic boss Rodgers, who has lost just two Old Firm derbies, while giving his thoughts on the future of Clement at Rangers.
“Oh aye definitely [Clement will keep his job], I was delighted for him, I think that’s his first victory against Celtic after seven attempts and as you [Brazil] pointed out to me, Brendan’s record in those games is absolutely remarkable,” he said.
“It was a big result for Rangers but particularly I think for the manager.
“I think the surprising thing was the margin of the victory and the gap between the two teams and I know it’s only one game and I’m not going to get carried away because Celtic will go on and win the league.
“But even that performance surprised me, the level, the distance between the two teams.”
Brendan Rodgers has been a strong contender for Rangers in recent years
Although the former Liverpool boss took a break from Celtic Park to try his hand at English football again a couple of seasons ago, the Gers have always had a more than decent foe in Rodgers.
The Northern Ireland manager has always taken the game to the Ibrox outfit and has often outdone them across all competitions.
Of course, there have been times when he’s slipped up such as Thursday’s game but that shouldn’t take away from the form that Clement’s men showed in the derby.
There’s still over half of the 2024/25 season to go and while nothing is yet set in stone, it feels like the 11-point gap that separates first and second place is still too steep a hill for the Gers to climb.
Only time will tell what the future holds but, at the moment, unless Clement can find a way to keep things consistent at Rangers so they don’t drop points against the likes of St Mirren and Motherwell, there’s not a chance that the Gers will make a late charge for the title this term.
In other Rangers news, Neil McCann has slammed Ridvan Yilmaz for what he did against Celtic on Thursday.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.